The Glinda-fication of Ariana Grande was fast-acting.
From the moment she was cast in Jon M. Chu’s two-part film adaptation of “Wicked” in 2021, the 32-year-old artist bid her signature brunette self adieu to welcome the blond alter-ego, and all her pink wonder.
On set, Grande worked with Oscar-winning hair and makeup designer Frances Hannon to enliven Glinda through a collection of wigs made by Samuel James, a fair complexion, faint eyebrows, pale lips and long, black lashes.
The first off-screen sighting of Grande all Glinda-fied didn’t arrive until the 96th annual Academy Awards in March 2024, where she donned honey-colored hair and matching brows thanks to Ash K. Holm and Alyx Liu. Here, her visage was light like her character’s, accentuated only by cool-toned contour under her cheekbones and lash clusters on the outer corners of her eyes.
Fast forward to the 2025 awards season, the “Eternal Sunshine” singer honored her supporting actress nominations by evoking the archetypal 1960s ingenue, with soft, shimmery glam and micro bangs à la Audrey Hepburn. Her hair coloring was noticeably darker than her wig shade in the film, less platinum and more caramel. She covered her tattoos with makeup and opted for either milky pink or a classic French Tip on her nails. Meanwhile, her lip gloss color ping-ponged between baby pink and magenta.
While her transformation has certainly been apparent, Grande hasn’t veered too far from her bespoke beauty, keeping with her signature slick-back for the majority of her red carpet appearances. She has, however, updated it to fit her character’s persona. Ahead of the release of “Wicked: For Good,” see photos of Grande’s best beauty moments as Glinda, from the 2024 Oscars and on.
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Ariana Grande’s Glinda-fied Beauty
Image Credit: Alberto Rodriguez/Variety Ariana Grande teases her Glinda beauty evolution with a blond messy bun at the 96th annual Oscars in March 2024. Here, her long curls are made to look as if they’re waterfalling from her bun; her shorter side pieces left out to tickle her cheekbone.
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Ariana Grande’s Glinda-fied Beauty
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores/Variety Ariana Grande stamps white shimmer on her eyes and highlighter on the tip of her nose at the “Wicked” Los Angeles premiere in November 2024. Grande also opted for a slick-back bun with a side part.
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Ariana Grande’s Glinda-fied Beauty
Image Credit: John Nacion/Variety Ariana Grande dresses her lips in a magenta gloss and dots her nose with gold highlighter at the “Wicked” New York screening hosted by Anna Wintour on Nov. 14.
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Arina Grande’s Glinda-fied Beauty
Image Credit: ©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection Ariana Grande in blond wig during the opening scene of “Wicked.”
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Arina Grande’s Glinda-fied Beauty
Image Credit: ©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection Ariana Grande as Glinda in “Wicked.” Here, she’s on the set of Shiz University, with her blond hair parted and clipped-back on the sides.
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Arina Grande’s Glinda-fied Beauty
Image Credit: ©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection Ariana Grande dons barely-there eyebrows, black lash extensions and highlighter on the tip of her nose as Glinda in “Wicked.”
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Ariana Grande’s Glinda-fied Beauty
Image Credit: Katia Temkin Ariana Grande with gold- and peach-hued glitter kissing her brow bone in October 2024.
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Golden Globes First-Time Nominee Luncheon – Arrivals
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores/Penske Media Ariana Grande stains her lips in a deep rosy hue and adds the faintest amount of blush to her cheeks at the Golden Globes First-Time Nominee Luncheon in December 2024.
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Arina Grande’s Glinda-fied Beauty
Image Credit: Courtesy Swarovski Ariana Grande channels her inner Glinda in her capsule collection campaign with Swarovski. Here, here her eye shape is embellished with lash clusters on the outercorners. Grande also has micro bangs à la Audrey Hepburn.
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36th Annual Palm Springs International Film Awards – Arrivals
Image Credit: Chad Salvador/Variety Ariana Grande styles a pretzel bun and bangs with her subtle brown eyeliner at the 36th annual Palm Springs International Film Awards in January.
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Ariana Grande’s Glinda-fied Beauty
Image Credit: John Nacion/Variety Ariana Grande dons dirty blond hair and side bangs at the National Board of Review Gala at Cipriani on in January.
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Ariana Grande’s Glinda-fied Beauty
Image Credit: Benjamin Askinas/Penske Media Ariana Grande channels Audrey Hepburn with micro bangs and soft glam at the 82nd annual Golden Globes in January.
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Ariana Grande’s Glinda-fied Beauty
Image Credit: Christopher Polk/Variety Ariana Grande dusts baby pink blush on the highpoints of her cheeks and under her blond eyebrows at the 31st Screen Actors Guild Awards in February. Here, Grande also opts for a slick-back ponytail instead of a bun.
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Ariana Grande’s Glinda-fied Beauty
Image Credit: Tommaso Boddi/Variety Ariana Grande pairs her pink gown with her signature slick-back and a rosy gloss on her lips at the Virtuosos Award held during the 40th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival in February
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Arina Grande’s Glinda-fied Beauty
Image Credit: WireImage Ariana Grande partners translucent highlighter on the highpoints of her face with a glossy pink lip at the 2025 EE BAFTA Film Awards in February.
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Ariana Grande’s Glinda-fied Beauty
Image Credit: Michael Buckner/Penske Media Ariana Grande keeps her eyelids bare next to her wispy lashes at the 97th annual Academy Awards Nominees Dinner in February.
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Ariana Grande’s Glinda-fied Beauty
Image Credit: JC Olivera/WWD Ariana Grande covers her tattoos for an ethereal beauty aesthetic on the 97th Oscars red carpet in March.
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Ariana Grande’s Glinda-fied Beauty
Image Credit: Penske Media Ariana Grande evokes Dorothy’s ruby red slipper with pink-hued makeup on stage at the 97th Oscars in March.
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Ariana Grande’s Glinda-fied Beauty
Image Credit: Gilbert Flores/Variety Ariana Grande slicks her muddy blond hair in a bun and dons cool-toned contour at the Universal Pictures and Focus Features Presentation as part of CinemaCon 2025 in April.
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Ariana Grande’s Glinda-fied Beauty
Image Credit: GC Images Ariana Grande slicks back her hair to accentuate her bleached eyebrows and light undereye concealer in New York City on Oct. 27.
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Ariana Grande’s Glinda-fied Beauty
Image Credit: GC Images Ariana Grande styles a twist updo with spider lashes outside the Paris Opera for the “Wicked: For Good” premiere.
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Ariana Grande’s Glinda-fied Beauty
Image Credit: Mike Marsland/WireImage Ariana Grande reverts to her dark brown coloring with side bangs to attend the “Wicked: For Good”London premiere.